Conservatives and Lib Dems slashed, BNP routed

A swathe of Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors lost their seats in the Council election.  The Liberal Democrats lost 10 seats and now have 17 councillors. Conservatives lost 9 seats and have only six councillors left, including Harsh Patel their General Election candidate in Brent North. Their seats are all in the north of the borough: Kenton, Northwick Park and Preston.

Labour with 21 gains now have 40 councillors and are firmly in the driving seat. There are no Democratic Conservative councillors following their last minute withdrawal. Atiq Malik, a former Democratic Conservative councillor, did not stand as a councillor as he was standing as an Independent parliamentary candidate in Brent North.

The council election also saw the defeat of Bertha Joseph, who having been both a Labour and a Conservative councillor, stood as an Independent in Kensal Green. She gained 450 votes, about 3% of the ward total.

The BNP candidate in Fryent had 163 votes, 169 behind the leading Green candidate, and about 1% of the total. The Jewish Chronicle had earlier reported:

A Jewish man who claims to have “no interest” in politics is standing as the BNP candidate in a local election. Richard Blackmore, from Kensal Rise, is standing for the Fryent ward in Brent, the first BNP candidate for the borough in 30 years.

Mr Blackmore, who is retired but would not state his age, described himself as of “Jewish extraction”.
His late mother’s maiden name was Gluckstein. He said he joined the BNP because he was “disgusted” with New Labour and the BNP was an “alternative”. 

He said: “I’m not that interested in politics. They asked me to stand. I couldn’t care less. It’s not a serious attempt. Lots of people go into the polling booth and don’t know what they are doing — and this is the same.” 

He said he did not realise that BNP members had denied the Holocaust in the past and said that he had “nothing whatsoever against Jewish tribes”.

Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism held a stall in Kingsbury Road and leafleted local streets opposing the BNP. I made Fryent a priority in my Brent North campaign after Barnhill ward where I also stood as a council candidate..  However confused the candidate, and dismissive of his supporters, it was important that the BNP be opposed. Let's have at least another 30 years without fascists on our ballot forms.